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CALGARY -- The man who gave the host country one of its most memorable moments of the 2010 Winter Olympics faces long odds to compete at the next Winter Games. Karl Malone Jazz Jersey . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. But the 34-year-old from Russell, Man., might not make the 2014 team for Sochi, Russia, in February. Montgomerys results the last season and a half have yet to meet Bobsleigh Canada Skeletons qualification criteria. He needs to hit the ball out of the park and also have little luck in the four races he has left to qualify before Jan. 19. "Unfortunately for me, Im fighting an uphill battle in that regard," Montgomery said Wednesday in Calgary. "I would guess the way things have gone it would be nothing short of winning the four races before that deadline." Mellisa Hollingsworth of Eckville, Alta., Calgarys Sarah Reid and John Fairbairn and Eric Neilson of Kelowna, B.C., were introduced Wednesday as Canadas skeleton athletes for Sochi. Canada can qualify a third man and a third woman for Sochi in January, according to head coach Duff Gibson. Should Canada gain those berths, Montgomery is up against Dave Greszczyszyn of Burlington, Ont., for the final spot on the mens team. It will come down to points earned in races. Greszczyszyn is currently ranked 23rd in the world and Montgomery 25th with 32 points separating them. Montgomery didnt qualify in fall selection races for the World Cup team. Hes competing on the secondary Intercontinental Cup circuit where results are worth fewer points than World Cup results. Greszczyszyn will continue to race World Cups. "Dave will be earning twice as many points for his results on World Cup than I will be on IC," Montgomery said. "If I win all four races and Dave gets 13th in his races hell beat me out in points." If the two men end up close or tied in points, it could come down to coachs discretion, which Gibson doesnt relish. The 2006 Olympic champion hopes the sliders sort it out themselves so he can avoid that painful decision. "By delaying our third selection until we know there is a third Canadian spot allows them to separate themselves based on performance, rather than us having to make a subjective choice," Gibson said. Montgomery will race twice in Whistler, B.C., on the track of his Olympic triumph before a pair of races in Park City, Utah, in January. "Im always optimistic," he said. "Ill work until the cows come home for any kind of a chance. Im not going to worry about the race results before they happen. "Im going to be worried about the next run, the next inch, the next corner. If I get ahead of that, Im not focused on whats important, which is the things I can control right now. "I wont be defined by my failures and this is hardly a failure yet." Montgomery has yet to bond with the sled he built from scratch when he took the 2011-12 season off from racing. The first World Cup after the 2010 Olympics was in Whistler and Montgomery won there. But he didnt finish on the podium again that season. Unwilling to race on a sled that got him wins on just one track in the world and looking ahead to Sochi, Montgomery worked with the metal construction company Standens on a new sled. The move hasnt translated into success on the track. Montgomery needed four top-six results in World Cups the last season and a half to automatically qualify for Sochi. He was sixth once in 2012-13 and was at a major disadvantage this season not qualifying for the World Cup. Montgomery doesnt regret the season he took off or the move to a new sled. Hes sure there would be no chance of beating Latvian skeleton superstar Martin Dukars or Russian slider Alexander Tretiakov, who are co-favourites for gold in Sochi, if he didnt make the change. "The sled that Ive got right now is better than the sled I used to be on," Montgomery said. "Theres no question. The only unfortunate part, and the reason why I was so successful in 2010, was because that old sled was like an extension of my body. "When I was competing in 2010 in Vancouver, that sled Id been on for eight years. I knew exactly how it would react to every single situation I was presented with. Im not there with my Standen sled. I havent had the time to get comfortable with it yet." And its not a simple matter of going back to his former sled, he says. Montgomery hasnt been on it for three years and his body would have to re-learn it. There isnt time for equipment tinkering now. Montgomery says he was the fastest Canadian on the Sochi track during an international training week in the fall. "I was the fastest Canadian athlete by a good bit, but thats neither here nor there," he said. "Its disappointing for me not to be given the benefit of the doubt of that leadership, that past performance proof that Im maybe the best person for the job, but Im in this situation by my own doing. "I cant blame anybody. If youre expecting to be given consideration based on past performance, youre kidding yourself." Montgomery took the risks he did because he wanted another Olympic medal. "I was searching for that special thing I knew I would have to do to be a medallist this go around," Montgomery explained. "Ive got no interest in becoming a two-time Olympian. My interest was always I wanted to do everything in my power to go there and defend my Olympic gold medal, our Olympic gold medal. "Ive got zero regrets. I know I created the bed Im sleeping in, but Im only disappointed. Disappointed is fleeting. Regret is lasting." Rodney Hood Jazz Jersey . Fognini won 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 after Argentinas Carlos Berlocq had beaten Andreas Seppi 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 on the outdoor clay surface. Doubles are set for Saturday with reverse singles on Sunday to decide which team reaches the quarterfinals. Rudy Gobert Jersey .C. -- LeBron James called comments on an audio recording of a man identified as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "appalling" and said hes not sure if he would suit up for the remainder of the NBA playoffs if he played for the Clippers.WEST BROMWICH, England -- Striker Nicolas Anelka announced he has terminated his contract with Premier League club West Bromwich Albion with immediate effect on Friday after being suspended for five matches by the Football Association for a racially aggravated goal celebration. The former France forward, whose career has been marred by controversies, was suspended last month for performing a gesture which is known in France as a "quenelle" and regarded as anti-Semitic. Anelka said on his Twitter account on Friday that he decided to leave the club because he could not accept West Broms conditions for being allowed back into the squad. "Proposals have been made for me to rejoin the group under certain conditions that I cant accept," Anelka said in French on his 35th birthday. "Wishing to keep my integrity, I took the decision to free myself and end the contract linking me with West Bromwich Albion until 2014, with immediate effect." In January, Anelka hinted that he could end his career at the end of the season but also mentioned interests from clubs including Lazio in signing him. Anelka performed the quenelle as he celebrated scoring in West Broms 3-3 draw with West Ham last December. The gesture involves pointing one straightened arm downward while touching the shoulder with the opposite hand. It was popularized by French comedian Dieudonne MBala MBala, who has been convicted for inciting racial hatred and anti-Semitism. After his suspension was announced at the end of last month, both Anelka and West Brom decided not to appeal the sanction. In Anelkas witness statement, the striker said he became aware of Dieudonne in about 20000, met him once, and watched recordings of his shows.Alec Burks Jazz Jersey. He said he made the gesture "purely to say hello to my friend." Anelka, who had previously been photographed performing the salute, joined West Brom last summer after two disappointing seasons at Shanghai Shenhua and Juventus. The former Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Bolton and Chelsea player is one of the most talented and controversial players France has produced since former Manchester United great Eric Cantona. After growing up in a Parisian suburb, Anelka started his career at Paris Saint-Germain and was quickly spotted by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who signed him in 1997. Known for his immense technical skills, Anelka played a big part in the Gunners winning both the Premier League and the FA Cup but missed out on a place in the France team that won the 1998 World Cup. Anelkas sometimes nonchalant attitude and apparent lack of commitment to the team started to anger the Arsenal fans, who gave him the nickname "Le Sulk." Anelka then joined Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League, before moving to PSG, Liverpool, Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton. The much-travelled Frenchman then struck up an electric partnership with Didier Drogba at Chelsea, winning the Premier League title and two FA Cups with the Blues. Anelka caused the biggest controversy of his career with the French national team, when he was sent home from the 2010 World Cup after insulting then-coach Raymond Domenech in the dressing room. The stubborn Anelka refused to apologize and ended his international career in the wake of the scandal with 14 goals in 69 appearances. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '
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